William Murray of Tullibardine

William Murray of Tullibardine (died 1583) was a Scottish courtier and leader of the Clan Murray.

Family background

William Murray was the son of William Murray of Tullibardine (d. 1562) and Katherine Campbell, daughter of Sir Duncan Campbell of Glenorchy (d. 1513) and Margaret Moncreiffe.

Career

Mary, Queen of Scots, visited him at Tullibardine on 16 November 1562,[1] and on 31 December 1566.[2]

When Lord Darnley was made Lord of Ardmanoch and Earl of Ross at Stirling Castle on 15 May 1565, he was one of 14 men who were made knights.[3] Murray was given the office of foud of Shetland, a kind of bailiff in charge of collecting customs due the crown, on 29 July 1565.[4]

His brother James Murray of Pardewis offered to fight with the Earl of Bothwell in May 1567 to prove his guilt in the murder of Lord Darnley by combat.[5]

On 9 August 1567 the English ambassador in Edinburgh Nicholas Throckmorton interviewed Murray, trying to work out the politics of his brother-in-law, the Earl of Mar, and the intentions of the Scottish lords towards the deposed and imprisoned Mary, Queen of Scots. Tullibardine discussed how she was expendable to the Hamilton family's cause.[6]

Later that month, Murray and William Kirkcaldy of Grange took ships and chased the Earl of Bothwell to Shetland, but the earl escaped. Tullibardine continued the pursuit for a time.[7] Some of the ships came from Dundee, including the James, the Primrose, and the Robert.[8]

At the same time, his brother James Murray was made "customar" of Edinburgh, in place of James Curl, collecting taxes duties from merchants owed to the crown.[9] Tullibardine was involved, requesting James Curl return some unlawfully impounded English cloth.[10]

Murray's sister was the influential Annabell Murray, Countess of Mar (died February 1603), who was the keeper of the young James VI of Scotland at Stirling Castle. There was a story, promoted by the secretary of Mary, Queen of Scots, John Lesley, that the king found the "testament of Bothwell" in Tullibardine's papers in 1577 and was pleased to hear a story that showed his mother as innocent, for a change.

In March 1579, as Comptroller of the king's household Murray told the Privy Council that he had commissioned and made a proclamation authorising Jerome Bowie's "visiting, tasting, and uptaking of wines for his Majesty's house at reasonable prices". Several merchants failed to comply. The Provost of Edinburgh Archibald Stewart and others came to argue the merchants' case, but the Privy Council was not impressed and set prices for wines sold to Bowie.[11]

On 24 April 1579 the Earl of Atholl died shortly after attending a banquet at Stirling Castle. His wife Margaret Fleming, (who had been married to Murray's brother-in-law, Thomas Erskine, Master of Erskine), was also unwell. A rumour started that they had been poisoned.[12] Agnes Graham, the wife of William Murray of Tullibardine, wrote to Annabell Murray assuring her that the Countess of Atholl's complaints against her were "forged lies".[13]

He was Comptroller of Scotland. He resigned the office in August 1580 due to ill-health and James VI gave it to his son John.[14] The privy seal letter appointing his son as his substitute describes his faithful service and the present "inhabilitie of his persoun, being subject to infirmitie and seiknes, speciallie the gut" (gout). His wife, Agnes Graham, was also unwell, which meant that he wished to remain at home rather than attend at court.[15]

He died in 1583.

Family

William Murray married Agnes Graham, a daughter of William Graham, 2nd Earl of Montrose and Janet Keith. Their children included:

A sister of Agnes Graham, Jonet Graham, married his cousin, Andrew Murray of Balvaird and Arngask. Their children included:

John Murray of Pardewis was a brother of William Murray, the Comptroller.[21]

References

  1. ^ Edward Furgol, 'Scottish Itinerary of Mary Queen of Scots, 1542-8 and 1561-8', PSAS, 117 (1987), microfiche, scanned
  2. ^ George Chalmers, Life of Mary Queen of Scots, vol. 1 (London, 1818), p. 199.
  3. ^ Julian Goodare, 'Queen Mary's Catholic Interlude', in Mary Stewart Queen in Three Kingdoms: Innes Review, vol. 37 (1987), p. 158: Calendar of State Papers Scotland, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1900), p. 161 no. 181.
  4. ^ Peter Anderson, Robert Stewart, Earl of Orkney Lord of Shetland (Edinburgh: John Donald, 1982), p. 47: Gordon Donaldson, Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland, 5:2 (Edinburgh, 1957), pp. 186-7 no. 3014.
  5. ^ Joseph Bain, Calendar State Papers Scotland: 1563-1569, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1900), p. 328.
  6. ^ Calendar State Papers Scotland: 1563-1569, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1900), pp. 373-4, 376.
  7. ^ David Reid, Hume of Godscroft's History of the House of Angus, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 2005), p. 171: Agnes Strickland, Letters of Mary Queen of Scots, vol. 1 (London, 1842), pp. 244-248: Calendar State Papers Scotland: 1563-1569, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1900), pp. 394-5.
  8. ^ John Hill Burton, Register of the Privy Council of Scotland: 1545-1569, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1877), p. 544.
  9. ^ Steven J. Reid, The Early Life of James VI, A Long Apprenticeship (Edinburgh: John Donald, 2023), p. 58-9.
  10. ^ John Hill Burton, Register of the Privy Council of Scotland: 1545-1569, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1877), pp. 547, 559.
  11. ^ David Masson, Register of the Privy Council of Scotland: 1578-1585, vol. 3 (Edinburgh, 1880), pp. 116-8.
  12. ^ George Hewitt, Scotland Under Morton (Edinburgh, 1982), pp. 70-1.
  13. ^ John, 7th Duke of Atholl, Chronicles of the Atholl and Tullibardine families (Edinburgh, 1908), pp. 44-5.
  14. ^ Keith Brown, Noble Power in Scotland (Edinburgh, 2011), p. 182.
  15. ^ Gordon Donaldson, Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, vol. 7 (Edinburgh, 1966), pp. 404-5 no. 2470.
  16. ^ David Stevenson, Scotland's Last Royal Wedding (Edinburgh, 1997), p. 121.
  17. ^ Register of the Great Seal, 1593-1608, no. 871.
  18. ^ Steven J. Reid, The Early Life of James VI, A Long Apprenticeship (Edinburgh: John Donald, 2023), p. 140.
  19. ^ Steven J. Reid, The Early Life of James VI, A Long Apprenticeship (Edinburgh: John Donald, 2023), p. 140.
  20. ^ William Ross, Aberdour and Inchcolme (Edinburgh, 1885), p. 340.
  21. ^ RPS, 7 (Edinburgh, 1966), p. 366 no. 2221.